More than 1,600 children across Pasco County, including students at Wesley Chapel-area schools, receive bags of food each week through a nonprofit that started with one first grader buying snacks for hungry classmates. The Thomas Promise Foundation holds its biggest fundraiser of the year Saturday, Aug. 15, in Zephyrhills.
Brooke Thomas was 7 when she began spending her own money on food for students at Centennial Elementary School in Dade City who couldn't afford snacks. Her mother, Dianna Thomas, noticed the family's money disappearing faster than expected and discovered what Brooke was doing.
The family turned that impulse into a foundation. It grew fast.
"That first year it was 55 kids in that one school. Now it's 35 schools, and we are helping over 1,600 kids every single week," executive director Joseph Simmons told Tampa Bay 28.
Brooke, now nearly 23, said she didn't fully grasp what she was doing at the time. She just kept telling classmates she'd cover it.
How the program works
Volunteers collect and pack food during the week, then distribute bags to children before the weekend so they have something to eat when school meals aren't available. Each bag contains 10 to 12 kid-friendly items that require no preparation, according to the Pasco County Schools district website, which describes the initiative as the "Pack-A-Sac and Thomas Promise" program.
Local churches, businesses and organizations "adopt" schools and provide food supplies. The foundation operates as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Dianna Thomas said the need keeps growing as the community expands. Brooke said she hopes to eventually take the foundation beyond Pasco County to serve children in other Florida counties.
Saturday's fundraiser
The 6th Annual Thomas Promise Fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 15, features dinner and a concert with the Bellamy Brothers, the Pasco County-born country duo whose 1976 hit "Let Your Love Flow" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
David and Howard Bellamy charted 20 No. 1 country singles and were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2018.
The fundraiser is scheduled for 6 to 11 p.m. at Dan Cannon Auditorium, 4424 Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills. Registration and online bidding are available through the event's GiveSmart page.
Wesley Chapel families and businesses looking to support the foundation year-round can visit the Thomas Promise Foundation for information on donating or adopting a school.
Upcoming community events
- Saturday, Aug. 15: 6th Annual Thomas Promise Fundraiser, dinner and concert with the Bellamy Brothers, 6 to 11 p.m., Dan Cannon Auditorium, 4424 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills. Registration and online bidding are available through GiveSmart.
- Ongoing: Thomas Promise Foundation accepts school adoptions and food donations year-round. Information is available through the foundation's website.
